Friends and Colleagues,

It feels like years have passed since I last provided a State of the Association Address update, but, alas, it’s only been three months. Saying that IAEM-USA has been busy during the first quarter of 2025 would be an understatement. While presidential and congressional transition periods always bring waves of uncertainty, this political transition feels slightly more complex and dynamic than in recent years. Thanks to teamwork, members of IAEM-USA have rallied together to ensure that the voices of all #EmergencyManagers are represented and heard as critical governance and policy decisions continue to be made at the highest levels of government.

IAEM-USA has achieved remarkable progress over the past three months through the power of collaboration. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the leadership and members of the Government Affairs (GAC) and Community and Member Engagement Committees (CMEC), the IAEM-USA President’s Team, the Board of Directors, and the staff for their time and commitment to ensuring IAEM-USA is represented where it has been needed most. This year has seen a significant increase in members actively participating and contributing to our groups and strategic initiatives, and I am honored to work alongside each and every one of you.

This quarter’s update includes:

• An update on IAEM’s health and well-being.
• Government Affairs initiatives.
• Information on updates to the IAEM-USA Administrative Policies and Procedures (APPs)
• IAEM Plugged In, the IAEM virtual conference, information.
• An announcement for National Emergency Management Awareness Month.
• An update on the upcoming IAEM-USA Board retreat.

Health and Wellbeing of IAEM

Membership – As of March 2025, IAEM has a total of 6,089 members, including 680 international members from our global councils and 424 students worldwide. The association has welcomed an additional 387 members since January, primarily by offering a one-year complimentary membership to federal emergency managers impacted by recent federal changes. IAEM’s new Member Resource Center provides information on the IAEM Career Center and job board, complimentary memberships and dues, as well as access to educational materials and the IAEM Bulletin. The IAEM-USA Board of Directors hopes these resources enable our federal emergency management colleagues to remain connected to the industry and engaged in activities during this period of uncertainty and transition.

Certifications – The association currently has 2,454 Certified Emergency Managers (CEMs) and 363 Associate Emergency Managers (AEMs), representing 55 states and territories, as well as 28 countries. I would like to thank the Certification Commission for their time and dedication in making this possible. 

Financials – The IAEM-USA Board of Directors is scheduled to review and approve the council’s FY2025 budget at the upcoming board retreat in late April. This will include a comprehensive overview of each budget request submitted by the regions, committees, caucuses, commissions, and task forces. This annual process is essential to the association, as the approved items in the budget represent the priority projects and initiatives that the association will concentrate on in the upcoming year. I am pleased to share with our membership that this year’s budget requests from all of IAEM-USA’s groups (i.e., regions, commissions, committees, and caucuses) are the largest batch of requests we’ve ever had as an association. While not every budget request item will be approved due to our limited resources as a nonprofit, I personally believe this signals an increase in our members’ participation and their collective desire to move us forward.      

Community Impact – IAEM is committed to enhancing the representation of emergency management and actively seeks to embrace diverse perspectives in thought, culture, and experience. Progress is evident in the discussions we’ve had with the upcoming generation of emergency managers and in the varied backgrounds of those involved in addressing today's issues. Furthermore, through the ongoing efforts of the DEI Task Force, IAEM is continually implementing corrective measures to ensure our governance, programs, and policies create a positive experience for all our members. We continue to work towards a future where we can transparently and consistently evaluate the impact of our organizational and governance structures, decisions, and actions on our community of members. 

 Government Affairs and Advocacy Update

Much of what follows is a compilation of previous communications sent to members over the last few months. Together with GAC and CMEC, IAEM-USA leaders are committed to providing regular updates to the membership throughout the US presidential transition. These updates have been shared via email, IAEMconnect, the IAEM Bulletin, and social media. If you haven’t received these updates, please ensure your communication preferences are current in your profile on your member dashboard at iaem.org.  

Changes continue to unfold daily on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and at FEMA. IAEM-USA remains proactive in engaging in discussions, monitoring for official updates to federal programs, and concentrating our efforts on responding to these developments as they arise.

So far, IAEM-USA’s efforts have included testifying at the House Homeland Security Committee’s Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee hearing on the Future of FEMA (see below for more details), holding both in-person and virtual meetings with members of Congress, the Administration, and FEMA, sending correspondence to federal government officials, conducting media interviews, collaborating with industry leaders, and establishing an Advocacy Resource Center with calls to action for our members. Throughout these efforts, IAEM-USA’s position has been the following:

• IAEM-USA agrees that national disaster management reform is necessary. We support FEMA and have stated that we do not believe disbanding or dismantling FEMA is the correct course of action for disaster survivors. We have also taken the stance that emergency management is a shared responsibility among the federal government, states, local governments, tribes, territories, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. We have further stated that there must be an effective and efficient emergency management presence at all levels of government.
• We continue to advocate for the continuation of all federal grants, especially homeland security grants, FEMA preparedness grants, and hazard mitigation grants. When reports of grant “pauses” or delays have been shared via media, IAEM-USA has actively inquired with FEMA for clarification and transparency with the industry. We have been clear in all interactions that changes to our grants, in any capacity, will significantly impact our membership.

While this does not exhaustively list all our advocacy priorities, they have been the focus of our efforts thus far. Additionally, our GAC continues to perform routine and annual activities related to our 2025 Legislative Priorities for the 119^th Congress, supporting current legislation such as the Disaster Management Cost Modernization Act, and holding regular meetings with staff on Capitol Hill. 

The list below is a snapshot of other activities IAEM-USA has participated in since mid-January 2025. 

• IAEM-USA President Carrie Speranza, CEM, testified as an expert witness at the House Homeland Security Committee’s Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee hearing on the Future of FEMA on March 4.
• GAC Director has continued to attend Stafford Act Coalition meetings.
• In-person and virtual meetings have been held with the acting FEMA administrator on January 31, February 28, and March 7. 
• In-person and virtual meetings have been held with congressional members of the House Homeland Security Committee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee. 
• Weekly in-person or virtual meetings have been held with senior staff directors for the majority party on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
• IAEM-USA sent a formal letter to the White House supporting FEMA and the need for national reform on January 27, as well as to the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees. 
• Several members have contributed to media interviews with Rolling Stone Magazine, Bloomberg News, LA Times, Politico, and Homeland Security Today.
• Local emergency managers and IAEM members in North Carolina met with the elected representatives who are appointed to the FEMA Review Council.
• IAEM members collaborated with the National Association of Counties during a D.C. trip during the week of January 27. IAEM-USA members held joint in-person meetings with White House representatives, Congressional representatives, and FEMA.
• The GAC and CMEC shared a Call to Action for targeted advocacy events, and an email with these materials was sent to the membership on February 12.

Most recently, IAEM-USA First Vice President Josh Morton led a small contingent of IAEM-USA members to participate in a series of meetings on Capitol Hill on March 26. The talking points shared with elected officials included the following: 

• Disaster reform is an opportunity to streamline emergency management efficiencies, but not at the expense of local and state autonomy. FEMA’s processes too often impose burdensome administrative requirements. We must recommit to the principle of locally executed, state-managed, and federally supported, with fewer barriers and greater flexibility for local emergency managers.
• Local emergency managers are capable of taking on more, but they need federal support—specifically, sustained funding, less administrative burden, and flexibility in how grants, programs, and initiatives are implemented.
• Standards and coordination mechanisms like EMAC, EMAP, and national training institutions (EMI, CDP, CHDS) must be preserved and strengthened, not diminished. They’re foundational to a professional, interoperable training and standards system. 

Summary of the Congressional Hearing on the Future of FEMA

On March 4, I had the honor and privilege of representing IAEM-USA as a witness for the House Homeland Security Committee’s Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee hearing on the future of FEMA. The hearing aimed to share insights from the emergency management community regarding FEMA reform, with other witnesses including two former FEMA Deputy Administrators, Dan Kaniewski and Tim Manning, as well as the Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, Jeff Smitherman. 

IAEM-USA’s role on the panel was to represent the emergency management profession concerning FEMA reform. Our voice at the table is unique, as our membership reflects many facets of emergency management. For instance, here’s an overview of IAEM-USA’s membership profile based on the employment information found in the member database: 

• Local government emergency managers (including town, city, and county) - 42% 
• State government emergency managers - 10%
• Federal government emergency managers - 11%
• Tribal emergency managers - 0.4% (18 members)
• Private sector emergency managers - 17%
• Higher education, healthcare, uniformed service, nonprofit, and self-employed emergency managers - 20%

In drafting our testimony, we sought advice and guidance from several dozen members. These voices included individuals from local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal levels, as well as representatives from nonprofit organizations, the private sector, healthcare, resilience officers, uniformed services, and higher education, ensuring equal representation from both rural and urban jurisdictions across all regions. Several federal representatives from organizations that partner with FEMA for response and recovery missions also contributed. Additionally, the GAC leadership, the President’s Team, and IAEM’s Communications Director reviewed and provided input throughout the process. This enterprise-wide approach helped ensure that IAEM-USA’s testimony included policy and reform recommendations that reflected as many voices as possible. IAEM-USA continues to advance our efforts, ensuring that our perspectives are always included. These points were also echoed during a recent visit to Capitol Hill on March 26, and as we plan our next Hill Day visits for June 2025. 

A link to the association’s testimony can be found here. 

Excerpt on Congressional Hearing Protocol: Depending on where you are in your career, some IAEM members may not have extensive experience and knowledge of Congressional Hearing Protocols. To provide some background on how Congressional hearings are typically organized, the chairman and ranking member of a committee/subcommittee each invite a witness to the hearing, and the remaining witnesses are selected based on expertise and organization affiliation. At the onset of each hearing, the chair and ranking member provide an opening statement, and the witnesses are then given five minutes to read their testimony (submitted to the subcommittee two days before the hearing as an official record), which is then followed by rotating rounds of questions from the members to the witnesses. In keeping with the tradition of timed responses, each question-and-answer segment may last up to five minutes before the next member is allowed to ask a question, and at no time can members or witnesses speak unless called upon by the chairman.

Update to the IAEM-USA Administrative Policies and Procedures 

Over the past six months, IAEM-USA First Vice President Josh Morton, CEM, has led a task force dedicated to reviewing and updating the IAEM-USA APPs. The goals of this project are 1) to ensure the APPs align with the recently revised Bylaws, 2) to reorganize the document for better user-friendliness, and 3) to confirm the APPs accurately reflect how IAEM-USA conducts its business. Leading up to the Board of Directors’ Retreat in April, the task force has focused primarily on structuring the document and ensuring that all processes are suitable and accurately represented. In the upcoming months, IAEM-USA’s individual policies will be reviewed to ensure they comply with current governing documents and best practices. 

IAEM Virtual Conference Plugged In

The IAEM virtual conference is just around the corner! This year, the conference will follow a new one-day format featuring fifteen sessions. Each session will be recorded, allowing registrants to access the content at their convenience. As a reminder, all students and any federal emergency managers impacted by recent changes can attend the virtual conference free of charge. 

To register for IAEM Plugged In, being held May 9, 2025, please visit this website.

National Emergency Management Awareness Month

This year, we are launching a new initiative through our newly formed Community and Membership Engagement Committee (CMEC), in close partnership with the GAC. IAEM-USA is proud to introduce National Emergency Management Awareness Month in August 2025, just before the annual National Preparedness Month. 

Awareness Month is a coordinated, industry-wide awareness and advocacy campaign to promote the capabilities of emergency and disaster management. During this period, emergency management professionals will engage with elected officials at the local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal levels, as well as private sector executives and senior decision-makers, to educate them about their emergency management programs. 

A large-scale announcement and media campaign will be released in the coming weeks outlining more details of National Emergency Management Awareness Month. But, at a minimum, GAC and CMEC will provide a toolkit to help our members open doors of conversation with local or state elected officials, private sector leadership, and everyone who benefits from the incredible work emergency managers do every day. Please stay tuned for more details. 

IAEM-USA Board of Directors’ Board Retreat

Every spring, the IAEM-USA Board of Directors convenes for board meetings. This year, the agenda for the IAEM-USA Board Retreat will encompass a wide range of topics related to association operations, governance, and policies. Business items include fiscal year 2025 budget planning, National Emergency Management Awareness Month planning, the annual evaluation of the IAEM-USA management contract, and a progress update from the Chair of the IAEM-USA DEI Task Force. The task force’s presentation will focus on recent conversations regarding its transition to a Community Impact Task Force. The scope of work for the Community Impact Task Force will remain the same – implementing the DEI report recommendations and determining IAEM-USA’s role in disaster equity within the profession. Additionally, the task force will now emphasize continuously evaluating how the association's activities and decisions impact our community of members. 

I hope you enjoyed this quarter’s State of the Association Address! As always, I welcome your feedback at USAPresident@iaem.com.  

In Service, 

Carrie